In response to COVID-19—and the need to secure his own employment—Spokane physical therapist Trey Nichols has started Northwest Mobile Physical Therapy Specialists PLLC.

A South Carolina native who moved to Spokane in 2007, 38-year-old Nichols says he was an economic casualty, laid off in April from a Spokane-area home health care agency.

“I just thought I’d find another job in PT here,” he says. A prolonged search proved to be unsuccessful. He turned his sights beyond Spokane and soon discovered that his was a field in which demand had diminished considerably.

That’s when he decided to go into business for himself.

“It’s been good, but it’s been challenging,” Nichols says of his venture in self-employment thus far.

Though he’s been exclusively mobile thus far, Nichols says he’s been in discussion with The Wellness Center at North Park about operating a portion of his practice at its facility at 8121 N. Division.

As a sole practitioner, spreading the word about his business is time consuming, he says.

“It’s very important to be patient,” he says. “Growing a business does not happen quickly.”

Historically, in-home physical therapy has largely been relegated to those who are homebound. 

The pandemic, however, has changed that traditional outlook, he says.

“My clients are a variety of ages,” he says. “In the future, I think home PT will be just as common as it has been in clinic and fitness settings.”